Conference oass::racers

    Bob was in surgery yesterday and is doing great. I just got off the
    phone with his wife and he's moving his arms a bit. The next 72 hours
    are critical, so I may not have another update for a day or so.
    
    jim e

Jim, do you know if Bob was wearing a horse collar while on the track?  Does the
driving position of the Spec Racer allow for one to be worn comfortably?

Dave

    re .2 - affirmative, he was wearing the horse collar.
    
    Anyway, it's a fairly open secret that Bob suffered a broken neck, at
    least among most of the workers and drivers who know him well.  Since
    there's no changing that or any other historical fact, I don't see
    anything to be gained by not posting some more information.  Keep in
    mind that Bob's situation continues to evolve, and present and future
    prospects are uncertain.
    
    In that vein, I visited Bob's family at the hospital last night.  We
    knew that it wasn't possible to visit in the ICU but decided to go
    anyway.  They all are pretty much overwhelmed right now, but I think it
    was a good decision, just as I think I made the right decision to stop
    there Sunday night.  In general though I think calls and visits should
    be postponed until he's out of ICU in a week or two.
    
    From what I heard yesterday and last night, things sound much more
    optimistic than they did Sunday - but that's still only relative...
    In other words, keep praying for the best!
    
    As far as the incident, I was far away and only saw (and heard) part of
    it.  Bob hit the outside wall backwards, hard.  The hit was almost
    square, both in car orientation to the wall and in terms of motion
    relative to the wall.   The car then slid down into pit lane entrance,
    right near race medical.  Extrication took a fairly long time and they
    transported him immediately to the hospital in Concord.  Estimated
    speed of impact was 80 to 85 mph, the rear bay of the car was shortened
    3 to 4 inches, there was little frame distortion in front of the roll
    hoop area.  The drivers compartment was essentially undamaged, Bob's
    injuries apparently were caused by whiplash and/or the raw force the
    impact.  He also suffered some hypothermia from exposure during the
    extrication, but that seemed relatively insignificant.
    
    Bob remembers events up to the impact and reportedly has said that it
    started raining much harder just before the incident.  So he knows it
    wasn't driver error or mechanical failure or anything more than bad
    luck, being caught out by changing conditions and taking the worst-case
    impact possible.
    
    One cause for optimism is that Bob's spirits are good.  His mother said
    one of his first questions was "Did I slide far enough to cross the
    finish line and take second place?"  
    
    (As I understand it, it didn't matter, the red flag positions reverted to
    the previous lap.)
    
    Keep praying - we'll keep posting updates as information becomes
    available.

Admittedly second-hand, but from another friend who's visited, so 
FWIW:

It may have been a wind gust the broke the car loose. Some 
tremendous gusts were recorded on Sunday. Others at the track 
described incidents where the wind was powerful enough to cause a 
loss of traction at speed. This supposedly contributed to at least 
one other wall-banging incident, Ray Blethen's MR2.

Bob reportedly suffered two crushed vertebrae, so the word that he 
has feeling and some movement in the arms is very good news indeed.

Early word is that he might be getting some rehab help from the 
Miami Connection, specialists in race injury rehabilitation, 
run by another injured ex-driver (I forget the name).

--Lil

    re -.1
    
    The "other" driver for the Miami project is Darryl Gwynn.
    
    Bruce is right. You can't see Bob for a while, but those cards and
    letters sure help!!!! I'm going there tonight to bring Barb some items
    she requested.
    
    Bob also smiled Sunday night when he heard that Barb went to wave the
    yellow flag at station 3 and CLOBBERED the new flagging instructor
    which split his lip and brought him to his knees.
    
    His spirit is very good and positive.
    
    jim e 

There has been a fund set up with a bank that will help with any expenses
that will incur. Bob doesn't know about it yet, so don't tell him. He'll
find out when the time comes. Feel free to pass this on.



The Bob Roth Fund
1st National Bank of Ipswich
Attn:  Phyllis Andrade
207 Main Street
Gloucester, MA  01930



Nancy Kapsten has volunteered to be the focal point for information etc
so that drivers can call her for info on Bob. This should keep some of the
calls channeled.

jim e

.6>  Nancy Kapsten has volunteered to be the focal point for information etc
.6>  so that drivers can call her for info on Bob. This should keep some of the
.6>  calls channeled.
    
    as additional help in keeping the calls channeled, Jim might've
    included Nancy's phone number :-)
    
    here it is: (508) 281-0489
    
    NB, when I just spoke to her, Nancy had something like another dozen or
    so calls to return, so unless there's some reason to call it's probably
    a good idea to rely on this forum for information rather than calling. 
    But it's here for reference, or to pass along to folks who might not
    have access here...

    I was at the hospital last night and found out that Bob is being
    transfered soon (maybe Friday) to
    
    University Hospital
    75 East Newton St.
    Boston, Ma. 02115
    
    I will post more when I have it. This will allow him access to a
    University style hospital, plus be a little closer to home. He does get
    the cards and letters read to him via Barb, even the ones with dirty
    jokes.... (I didn't send that one...).
    
    Bob is in good spirits (Barb too). They also want to say "thank you"
    for all the support.
    
    re -.1 Bruce, I can't think of EVERYTHING.....  :-)
    
    jim e
    

From: [email protected] (Paul Czarnecki) 
    
.4>It may have been a wind gust the broke the car loose. Some 
.4>tremendous gusts were recorded on Sunday. Others at the track 
.4>described incidents where the wind was powerful enough to cause a 
.4>loss of traction at speed. This supposedly contributed to at least 
.4>one other wall-banging incident, Ray Blethen's MR2.
 
I don't think it was a gust of wind.  I was yellow flag at 12 and very
worried that wind would cause an accident since it would be at the
driver's back therefore *increase* their speed as they were heading
towards the wall before they turned.  There was no gust at the time of
the accident.  I am much more inclined to believe Bob when he said
that the rain picked up dramitically before he spun.  The rain was
very bursty at the time. 
 
					pZ
 
(Bruce, feel free to post this to racers notes if you want... --pZ)

    Bob was transfered today to the University Hospital's Intensive Care
    unit (ICU), so any future cards can be sent there.
    
    Since this file is not really the place to publish day-to-day updates,
    anyone who is not on my mailing list can send me mail and get on.
    
    jim e
    

    A good friend told me that the Digital contributions program will match
    employee contributions to the Bob Roth Fund. See personnel for the
    forms. I believe it has to be over $15 to qualify.
    
    Also, Mike Joy from Lime Rock had some stickers made up that say "BOB
    ROTH  WE MISS YOU - AND WE CARE!". I have a number of these stickers to
    sell. They are $3 each or two for $5.
    
    I will collect the money and send it to the fund with a matching
    certificate. ALL PROCEEDS go to fund. 
    
    Bob still doesn't know about the fund.
    
    jim e

    I thought you'd like to know that Bob and Barb are scheduled to be at
    NHIS for a couple of hours this Saturday - around lunch time.
    
    No big fanfare - per Barb's request. This is the first time back there
    since the crash.
    
    jim e
    

    Bob informed us this weekend that August 22 is his last day in rehab.
    
    Just thought you'd like to know.
    
    jim e
    

I didn't get to see Bob this past week, and Barb went to Maine with
Bob's sister. This means Bob was a bit lonely this past weekend. Due to
this, we have a gang going to see Bob this Thursday evening in Boston.

Everyone is welcome to come and help us inundate him with friends. If
you already have plans? Try and change them.... it's about time we make
up for the selected visits... right???

Come one, come all... remember, he'll be home next week....

jim e 

	No News?

				Derek

    I'll see if I can remember to call this week for an update.
    

 tell him the advice he gave me is starting to make a difference

    I finally got a call back. Bob is right now sunning himself in a tank
    top and shorts on Daytona Beach. Barb said he's also terrorizing the
    old folks down there.
    
    It just so happens that his mom and dad have a place there.
    
    jim e

.18>    ...on Daytona Beach. Barb said he's also terrorizing the
.18>    old folks down there.
.18>    
.18>    It just so happens that his mom and dad have a place there.
    
    Did Barb mention whether those terror-stricken old folks were his
    family, or is he running amuck with the public too?	:-)
    
    Seriously, any indication from Barb about when he'd be back in town?

    He's actually running amuck in public terrorizing the neighborhood and
    the beach bunnies...
    
    As far as his schedule, I don't believe that's for public display.
    
    jim e
    

    Bob and Barb were at this weekend's NER SCCA annual weekend on Cape
    Cod. They thanked all those who helped them in their time of need.
    
    Just to set the tone, Bob had a sweatshirt on that was a picture of two
    guys on horseback stopped next to an empty wheelchair with the caption
    
    "He can't get far with those legs".   or something very close to that.
    
    
    jim e

    I talked to Bob last night. He now has his drivers license and asks
    that everyone keeps their kids and pets in the back yard.
    
    He also says hello to everyone.
    
    jim e

    I just thought I'd update everyone here on Bob.
    
    2 weeks ago he spent the weekend at NHIS. I picked him up Saturday
    morning and dropped him off Sunday night. We put him to work in the
    Tech shed helping weigh cars after their heat Saturday and he was on
    station 10 on phones on Sunday.
    
    This past weekend he finished his first road race. A 10K'er!!!!
    Needless to day he was rather pleased with himself. He said he wasn't
    the last finisher and he could have done a lot better if he had his own
    racing chair instead of a borrowed chair.
    
    jim e
    

    I just found out from Bob that he has a compuserve account, and that he
    said posting it is fine. He also has an AOL account. I'm not sure which
    one will be cheaper for him to get mail on.
    
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    
    jim
    
    
    p.s. for you who know Ray Wenzel, he just graduated last week from
    broadcasting school. looks like his time being Mike Joy's chief
    mechanic (go-fer?), and a helper with TNN may pay off for him.